If you’ve been looking for a brand designer for more than 5 minutes, I’m guessing you’ll have come across the term ‘Brand Strategy’. It’s the number one question Iget asked by my clients when we first get chatting. Mainly what is it, and do I need it?
Now, I’m going to be honest with you, every designer has a different perspective on this. I’m going to tell where I stand on it, but just know I’m not the authority on the subject.
With that being said, let’s get into it!
Table of Contents
First off, what is Brand Strategy?
A brand strategy is the blueprint for how a business wants to be perceived. It’s about defining your brand’s unique identity, values, and personality. By creating a clear and consistent brand message, you build trust, loyalty, and recognition among your target audience.
Okay, so what does brand strategy have to do with logo designs?
Everything. No seriously, EV-ER-Y-THING.
A strong brand strategy is the foundation of any successful design project. It’s like building a house – you need a solid blueprint before you start hammering nails.
Let me give you an example: Let’s say you’re a recruitment consultant for accountants (Fun fact: that was my job before becoming a designer!).
Your primary audience (the people who are going to hire you) likely have an image in their minds of who they want to work with. Now lets say your personal style is bubblegum pink, Y2K, pop princess vibes. This is cute for you personally, but likely isn’t aligned with your business. Brand strategy helps us both (me as the designer, you as the business owner) to separate your personal style from your business, and really dig into your goals and what you’re hoping to achieve with your branding. Of course I want to include elements of you and your personality into your brand (that’s like my whole schtick), but it’s about being selective and keeping your target audience in mind.
If I were to give you a logo based solely on what we think would look fun, it wouldn’t give you the results you need, and honestly would be a massive waste of money.
What Does a Brand Strategy Include?
A typical brand strategy covers a lot of ground. We’re talking about understanding your target audience, digging deep into your brand’s personality, figuring out what makes you different from the competition, and crafting messages that resonate.
It’s also different for every business. I had a client with basically no competition, so competitor analysis was pointless, instead I really dug into her brand personality and voice and gave her a whole set of guidelines she could use on her socials & website.
As a basic guide though here’s what I typically include in mine:
- Behind the brand
- Target audience
- Competitor analysis
- Tone & Voice
- Voice Scale
- Brand Archetype
- Personality
- Positioning
- Messaging
- Creative Direction & Mood-board
So, the big question: is Brand Strategy Worth It?
Well, that’s up to you really. From my perspective, I can’t design unless I’ve done strategy first, it’s a non-negotiable. So it’s absolutely worth it. However, I do understand that a full brand design is more spenny that ‘just a logo’. Can I be real with you for a sec though?
If you’re just starting out, and you can’t invest yet, DIY it. Honestly, I would 100% recommend that rather than paying £200 for a standalone logo.
Start your business, get proof of concept, and then give me a shout when you’re ready to upgrade.
If you’re ready now though, then I’m always open for a chat.